1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the field of spare tires, and more particularly to spare tires that can be used to protect the wheel or wheel rim of a vehicle without requiring removal of the flat tire from the vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
One of the most common maintenance procedures that a driver must perform is changing a flat tire. To change a flat, a driver must typically execute the following steps remove the lug nuts securing the wheel carrying the flat tire to the vehicle; remove the wheel from the vehicle; position a spare wheel bearing a flat tire on the vehicle; and secure the spare wheel to the vehicle by replacing the lug nuts.
Various attempts have been made to provide a substitute for the traditional spare tire. A wide variety of modular spare tires comprised of a plurality of connecting segments have been proposed. In most cases, however, the original flat tire must still be removed from the vehicle, requiring a hazardous step of jacking up the vehicle. In other cases, the original flat tire is not replaced, but is supplemented by a spare tire system which rides alongside the outer surface of the tire, greatly increasing tire width. Additionally, some cars have wheel wells which may not be deep enough to allow for such excess tire width.
There remains a need for a lightweight spare tire that can be mounted on a vehicle without a need for changing the flat. Preferably, a typical driver should be able to install the lightweight spare tire with a minimum of tools and effort.